caugoesmoo

If programs exist that accept an ADN, they are very rare and they're probably very competitive; Especially now that virtually every CRNA program is doctorate-level now. I did an accelerated BSN program (4 semesters long - 1.5 years) after my 1st bachelors degree, did 2 years in the ICU then applied and got in. Before you commit to the long journey ahead of you, shadow a CRNA and shadow nurses in the ICU and/or get a tech job in the ICU to really get an idea if this is for you. I just started my CRNA schooling and it's tough - but it's doable only if you have the intrinsic motivation to keep going at it. If CRNA school falls through as an option, ICU nursing is still a VERY good job to fall back on, because of the many niche roles it opens the door to, and travel nursing is very lucrative too!

Level 1's are kinda overrated IMO - you just go there to get experience and then GTFO. Do you think it'll be hard to get references there? I'd say go with the happy place, because you can always ask your travel agency to set you up with level 1 travel assignments. Just make sure you're taking hard patients there and you should be fine.

Does your local community college offer online classes? Use ratemyprofs to figure out if any of those profs are the weed-out types or have a teaching style that jives with you.

If you want to start a business, start a business, but PLEASE don't make the mistake of thinking that you only have permission to start a business if you have a business degree. At worst, a general MBA is only going to teach you the basics of accounting, how to do stupid group projects, academic writing and how to do SWOT analyses. People that get MBA degrees at very prestigious institutions (IE Wharton, Pace Uni, Ivy League schools) get them because they are leveraging that institution's network to find exclusive opportunities that will propel them into the upper levels of socioeconomic strata. A basic internet search on the worth of a random MBA degree will more-often-than-not tell you that the degree is bu115h17. Use the money (and time) that you would pay for your MBA to start your business instead. You're working for a critical care group, right? Ask your group's director\owner for tips on how to start a business, but please, please reconsider getting the MBA if your only interest is to start a business.

^I'm pretty much gonna echo subee The more rigorous the Chemistry class you can take, the better it'll look. And use ratemyprofs to choose a professor that isn't trying to weed out and GPA-bomb any victims that register for their class

If you can, get your foot in the door with a tech job in the ICU - easiest way to vet the unit and get experience. I'm gonna echo what everyone else said - you'll have to be geographically open-minded if you want to get into the ICU (or have connections). If you want it really bad, you can absolutely do it.

How much would a maxed-out suction yankeur help with the cauterizing fumes?

To be honest, our HIPAA training is 1 online module that we gloss over in 5 minutes that probably touches on the things you're talking about. We don't ever interact with security vendors.

Do what Orca says As far as patient refusals of baths - that must be formally documented by the nurses or by you somehow. That way, it won't fall back on you or any of the staff if these nasty residents later claim that they aren't getting the care they need at your facility; if it happens in the hospital, it can definitely happen at your nursing home.

Make a SBAR report sheet or steal a template off the internet that fits your unit. If you have everything down on paper, all you need to do at report time is just read off the paper - it will be organized, flow well and you won't forget anything (unless it's not on the sheet) You should be excited at report time - YOU GET TO GO HOME!

Just get a device on which you can help families Facetime/Skype with these patients. The family needs to visit, not empty thoughts and prayers, especially if they come from a faith they don't necessarily care for. You're a nurse, go make things happen and get back to your other patients (you have other patients to care for, right?) leave the spiritual matters for the chaplain - they know best how to navigate all the cultures/traditions/faiths

Not a haunted hospital, but a haunted room. (Pre-COVID) Pt gets their personally written DNR revoked by their parent - brought to the ICU to 'treat' their terminal neuro-oncological condition. Every provider consulted for this patient explains the poor prognosis and lack of treatment to the family, family continues to keep the patient a full code and rotate 24/7 family supervision on the patient so that no staff might try to 'pull-the-plug' on the patient. Providers that try to enter the room to assess the patient are trapped in the room by family in attempts to start treatments they look up online - security is called every time to rescue said providers. That patient was in the ICU for almost 3 months - patient finally codes and we need to call security to get the family out of the room. This patient is weeping, edematous, DIC - initial compressions on the patient spewed fluid all over the place before we could finally get any actual force on the heart. After 2 cycles of CPR, pt remains in literal asystole. Provider finally calls it after 30 minutes. Family brought back to patient's room, family is violent and accusatory with staff - family needs to be chaperoned by security in the room. After this patient is cleaned and brought down to the morgue - the code blue alarm and examination lights go on and off intermittently. This continues to happen for about a month and ONLY when there is no one in the room - despite engineering and staff going in there several times to troubleshoot the code blue/light panel. The chaplain is called to bless the room and the random code blues/flickering lights stop.

If you're aiming for CRNA school, CNA in the ICU is how you get your foot wedged into the door for an ICU RN position. With very few exceptions, CRNA schools require ICU experience, not OR experience. GET INTO AN ICU ASAP if you really want to get into CRNA school. As soon as I could, I worked as a tech in an ICU, got really good recommendations/references, did an externship and thought I was golden for a ton of ICU new grad jobs. I applied to about 15 different ICUs across 3 different metro areas - only got 1 phone screen; HOWEVER, I was an insta-hire for the ICUs within my hospital system because nepotism is how you get jobs nowadays. You'll certainly get more interaction time with CRNAs if you work in the OR, but you could always shadow CRNAs to gauge whether or not you'll fit into the profession.

When you're on paid leave for 2 weeks of isolation/quarantine and your family/community keeps trying to send you food/gifts to help ease the suffering of their 'hero', but you're actually just chilling in your PJs using your shirt as a plate/napkin for your freezer full of microwave pizza and learning all the TikTok dances

School nursing is COMPETITIVE to get into in urban areas, but it maybe easier to find a job in rural areas. Get your foot in the door someplace if your school does community health clinicals.